Load carrying packs are generally used in such activities as running, hiking, cycling, climbing, skiing, and snowboarding which all involve moving and twisting of the body in a variety of ways. However, the current pack designs do not accommodate the varying degrees of bending and movement at distinct areas on the user's back region. In particular, the majority of articulation will typically occur in the lower back region of the spine whereas bending in the upper back region is generally more limited. The pack loads are more efficiently carried as close to the body as possible and at the center of mass in order for loads to be transferred from the shoulders and back, to portions of the hips.
While there may be some existing pack designs that provide a mechanism for distributing loads to the hip/waist region, the prior art is lacking in that there are no known packs that allow for different amounts of articulation in a pack along the spinal column.